The First Crusade and the Worsening of Anti-Jewish Persecutions (1096–1097)

The First Crusade (1096–1099) marked a new era of large-scale violence against Jewish communities in Europe, unlike anything seen since the seventh-century expulsions and forced conversions. While previous persecutions of Jews in Latin Christendom had often been localized and sometimes halted by Church authorities, the passions ignited by Pope Urban II’s call to Crusade led to unchecked massacres of Jewish populations, particularly in the Rhineland.

A New Chapter in Anti-Jewish Persecution

• Before 1096, while there had been regional anti-Jewish incidents, they were not systematic, large-scale massacres.
• Notable earlier incidents include:
  • Mass expulsion and forced conversions under King Robert II of France, Duke Richard II of Normandy, and Emperor Henry II (1007–1012).
  • Localized violence, such as:
    • The attack on Jews in Metz (888).
    • A plot against Jews in Limoges (992).
    • Millenarian persecution in the year 1000, linked to fears of the Second Coming of Christ.
    • The threat of expulsion in Trier (1066).
• These previous incidents, however, were often halted by papal or episcopal intervention.
• The First Crusade changed this dynamic, as popular religious fervor overrode previous restraints, leading to massacres of Jews across France and Germany.

Godfrey of Bouillon’s Threats Against the Jews

• Godfrey of Bouillon, one of the most prominent Crusader leaders, was reported to have sworn to avenge Christ’s death by massacring Jews:
  • “To go on this journey only after avenging the blood of the crucified one by shedding Jewish blood and completely eradicating any trace of those bearing the name 'Jew,' thus assuaging his own burning wrath.” (Patrick J. Geary, ed. Readings in Medieval History, 2003).
• This statement alarmed Jewish communities, prompting Kalonymus Ben Meshullam, the Jewish leader in Mainz, to notify Emperor Henry IV, who then prohibited such actions.
• Godfrey later denied he intended to kill Jews, yet the Jewish communities of Mainz and Cologne were forced to bribe him with 500 silver marks to secure his protection.

Godfrey’s Financing of His Army

• Like many Crusader lords, Godfrey needed significant funds to finance his army.
• He took loans and sold lands to Bishop Henry of Liège and Bishop Richer of Verdun, securing money to equip thousands of knights and foot soldiers.
• His brothers, Eustace III of Boulogne and Baldwin of Boulogne, joined him—Baldwin particularly because he had no lands in Europe and sought wealth and territory in the East.

The Formation of Crusader Armies

• Godfrey was one of several powerful nobles to gather large forces for the Crusade.
• The most significant Crusader leaders and their armies included:
  • Raymond IV of Toulouse (Raymond of Saint-Gilles) – the oldest and one of the most famous Crusader nobles, leading the largest army.
  • Adhemar of Le Puy, the papal legate, traveled with Raymond.
  • Bohemond of Taranto, a Norman knight from southern Italy, led a fierce, ambitious army.
  • Robert II of Flanders, leading another major contingent.

Each of these armies traveled separately, either marching overland through Hungary or sailing from southern Italy across the Adriatic.

Godfrey’s Army Departs (August 1096)

• Godfrey and his brothers set out in August 1096, leading an army from Lorraine, reportedly 40,000 strong.
• They followed what Pope Urban II called “Charlemagne’s road”, a symbolic reference to the path to Jerusalem.
• This was the beginning of the largest armed pilgrimage ever undertaken, blending religious fervor with military conquest.

Significance and Legacy

• The First Crusade’s mobilization led to massive anti-Jewish violence, particularly in France and the Rhineland, setting a precedent for future Crusades.
• Godfrey’s role as a Crusade leader was financially and ideologically linked to this persecution, as anti-Jewish rhetoric helped justify the Crusaders’ mission.
• The departure of the Crusader armies marked the beginning of one of the most significant military and religious campaigns in medieval history, one that would reshape Christian-Muslim relations and European politics for centuries.

The Crusade's initial mobilization in 1096 was not only a march to Jerusalem but also a turning point in Christian-Jewish relations, as religious zealotry, financial necessities, and political ambitions fueled widespread violence and persecution in Europe.